Alabama Republican Roy Moore needs to withdraw from the Alabama Senate race not because he's necessarily guilty of sexual misconduct charges but because his credibility and effectiveness are gone, Washington Times online opinion editor Cheryl Chumley argues.

Chumley wrote a piece for the Times in which she called on Moore to step aside amid several allegations that he pursued teenage girls 40 years ago, allegations that include claims of sexual assault.

"America affords each and every citizen the right of due process, the presumption of innocence over guilt, the constitutional right to stand before one's accusers and face the courtroom music. And that includes Roy Moore," Chumley wrote.

"But for the good of the Republican Party — for the good of the conservative cause — it's time he stepped aside and let another fill his shoes. He simply can't be effective any longer."

Chumley argued that the allegations, which first surfaced in The Washington Post last week, have ripped apart Moore's name — whether or not they are true.

"His credibility has been destroyed. The shadows above his head have grown darker," she wrote. "The skeletons in his closet, real or not, have shoved open the door. The suspicions that tarnish his name are just too persistent.

Chumley said it's time Moore gives another Republican a chance at earning the seat once held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

"For the good of conservatism, for the good of the cause of patriotic, constitutional governance — the kind that puts God first, government second — Moore needs to bow out, gracefully if possible," she wrote. "But bow out, just the same, and let another take his place. That's not admitting guilt; that's being pragmatic."

Alabama Republican Roy Moore needs to withdraw from the Alabama Senate race not because he's necessarily guilty of sexual misconduct charges but because his credibility and effectiveness are gone, Washington Times online opinion editor Cheryl Chumley argues.